Menagerie
I've added a photo from my recent production of The Glass Menagerie to my Directing Resume.

Unconscious Mutterings


You say ... and I think ...

  1. Pitbull::dog
  2. TD::touchdown
  3. Carter::Cris
  4. Japan::Tokyo
  5. 50::middle age
  6. Streak::consecutive victories or losses
  7. Rifle::gun
  8. Trap::animal
  9. Easter::holiday
10. Mitt::Catcher's

You Can Take the Guy Out of Jersey...
In a letter to his fans, Kevin Smith has called Jersey Girl a "love letter" to his daughter, Harley. After seeing the movie today, that couldn't be more obvious, despite the fact that "the kid", as he calls her, would rather go see Scooby Doo 2 and won't appreciate his efforts until she's older. That doesn't mean the rest of us can't enjoy the movie in the meantime.

Jersey Girl is more than just a valentine to his daughter. It also honors his wife and the place where he grew up. Some critics have ravaged the film as being too sentimental, sappy, and cliched. And although it may lean in that direction, it's also clever, interesting and entertaining. The Cats and Sweeney Todd bits are hilarious, and all the performances are great.

In a departure from his earlier, more irreverent movies, Kevin Smith has taken his own feelings about parenthood, life and love and made a personal film that is still familiar, funny and satisfying for the rest of us.

NEGLECT

Wing It
Last night's episode of The West Wing, "The Supremes", written by Debora Cahn and directed by Jessica Yu, was one of the best written, best acted and best produced episodes of the series since Aaron Sorkin and Tommy Schlamme left after last season.

Since my willing suspension of disbelief has become almost nonexistent when it comes to watching theatre, it's fun to still be able to be sucked into a good story and good storytelling on TV and film.

Another Opening
I haven't written much at all about my latest directing project, The Glass Menagerie at Northwestern College in Saint Paul. Mostly because directing is such a personal and intuitive experience and I have a somewhat difficult time explaining or reflecting on the process. And also because theatre is a collaborative art form and writing about the process would require writing about the other people involved and their own creative processes, which to me feels a little intrusive.

There are a lot of people putting a lot of time and effort into the production and with only three rehearsals and a preview performance left before opening night, I'm satisfied that the production will be a success. A success in terms of the process at least. In fact, as a director who concentrates so much on the story being told and process of telling that story, success was guaranteed a couple of weeks ago when one of the actresses explained that when she first read the script, she didn't find it very interesting and wasn't sure how "fun" this was going to be, but that now she was very much enjoying being on stage, working with the other actors and communicating this interesting and meaningful story. A feeling of success also came from one of the crew members who, upon seeing the play for the first time, was exasperated at the end and wanted desperately to know "what happened next".

The students who make up the cast of The Glass Menagerie are some of the hardest working and dedicated young people I've ever worked with. Their efforts and abilities have gotten us this far and I'm sure it'll be fun and rewarding to share the experience with an audience.

The A Train
It's been a couple years since Heather and I have been able to go to New York City for Spring Break. We usually stay with my sister, see a couple of plays or musicals, visit several museums (the Met, the Whitney, MOMA and ICP being favorites), shop, and sightsee. And since Kathy's apartment is almost at the end of A line in Washington Heights, we spend a lot of time on the subway.

Since the opening of The Glass Menagerie this week prevented us from going to NYC again this year, one the books I brought along on our weekend getaway to Duluth was Randy Kennedy's Subwayland. It's a collection of his columns from the New York Times about the unique people, places and things that make up the New York City subway system. The reprinted columns are relatively short and it's an easy, but evocative, read. The last chapter is about the tragedy of 9/11 and how it affected and still affects the lifeblood of the city's transportation system.

Kennedy's columns and book bring to life the culture and mechanisms of the subway and I recognized and remember many of the things and places he writes about.

I miss it.

Unconscious Mutterings


You say ... and I think ...

  1. Wife::Heather
  2. Criminal::illegal
  3. Campaign::candidate
  4. Infection::diseased
  5. Portland::Oregon
  6. NASCAR::Racing
  7. IMAX::movie
  8. Martian::Chronicles
  9. Nike::shoes
10. Trial::and error

The View from Here
Below are shots from the window of the suite we're staying in for the weekend...

Friday Five


If you...

1. ...owned a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve?
    Seafood

2. ...owned a small store, what kind of merchandise would you sell?
    Books

3. ...wrote a book, what genre would it be?
    Detective novel or Acting/Theatre

4. ...ran a school, what would you teach?
    Acting

5. ...recorded an album, what kind of music would be on it?
    Blues or Acapella

MORNING

Luck o' the Irish
Thanks to Ma's heritage (family name of McGinn) and a boss named O'Malley, it's a good day to be Irish!

Unconscious Mutterings


You say ... and I think ...

  1. Old Navy::Clothing store
  2. Out::In
  3. Indecent::Offensive
  4. UPN::Star Trek: Enterprise
  5. Pupil::Student
  6. Toothpaste::Crest
  7. 1999::Prince
  8. Passion::Mel Gibson
  9. Social Security::Who will pay?
10. Cliff::Diving

Proof
I re-read David Auburn's play Proof the other night in preparation for a directing interview at Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake in couple of weeks. It's pretty easy to understand why it won almost every major award, including the Pulitzer Prize. And even though the subject matter of mathematics and some critics' opinion that the plays plot is a bit thin, the script is funny, touching and a great look at human relationships, intelligence, and both mental and emotional well-being.

Rearrange
In the interest of improved readability, I adjusted the layout of the blog today and moved the menu to the left side of the page.

CLEAN

Friday Five


1. What was the last song you heard?
    CSI Theme Song: Who Are You by The Who

2. What were the last two movies you saw?
    25th Hour
    Antwone Fisher

3. What were the last three things you purchased?
    Dinner for myself and friend at Chili's
    Two dress shirts at Sears
    New tires for my truck

4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?
    Put gas in my truck
    Because of the bus drivers' strike, make sure Ma gets to the library and the store
    Volunteer at the Humane Society for Companion Animals
    Go to the bank

5. Who are the last five people you talked to?
    My wife
    Joe
    Salesman at Appliance Smart
    Waitress at Chili's
    Saleswoman at Sears

No Flix
I didn't see anyone carrying around a Netflix envelope today. Must've just been a two-day coincidence.

Flix
Yesterday, I put three Netflix DVDs (Capturing the Friedmans, Bloody Sunday, and 25th Hour) in the mail to be returned. And over the last two days I've crossed paths with two different people carrying Netflix envelopes. It might be just a coincidence or a testament to my powers of observation. Either way, I found it curious and wonder if it'll happen again tomorrow.

Reading is fundamental
On Saturday afternoon, I bought a copy of Greg Rucka's A Fistful of Rain, which was recently released in paperback. I started reading about 11:30 p.m. and finished the book about 4:30 a.m. It was a great read, made even better by the fact that the title and opening quote come from a Warren Zevon song. Rucka writes great comics, but his novels are even better.

Unconscious Mutterings


You say ... and I think ...

  1. Dogma::Kevin Smith movie
  2. Spirit::Mars Rover
  3. Voodoo::Black Magic
  4. Demon::Monster
  5. Digital::Future
  6. Ceremony::Celebration
  7. Research::Learn
  8. Career::Job
  9. Penis::Male
10. Film::Movies

March Madness
It's been in the mid/high 30s for several days and as of yesterday almost all the snow around here had melted. And then we got up this morning to this...

PERSPECTIVE

from the top of the World Trade Center...

I'm OK, You're OK
I've been pretty busy directing The Glass Menagerie at Northwestern College lately, but a there a few things that happened in the last week or so that deserve mention...

More than OK
  The Vikings signing Jimmy Kleinsasser to a 5-year contract.
  Warmer weather and lots of snow melt.
  Oscars for Sean Penn, Tim Robbins and Sofia Coppola.

OK
  John Kerry's Super Tuesday sweep.

Not OK
  The somewhat tedious and not-very-funny Academy Awards telecast.
  The continued unrest in Iraq and Haiti.
  George W. Bush